2007年VOA标准英语-UN Chief to Visit Sudan Next Week

By Suzanne Presto¹
United Nations
28 August 2007

United Nation's Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday formally announced his plans to travel to Sudan next week. From VOA's United Nation's bureau, Suzanne Presto reports on the U.N. chief's three-point plan for Sudan's Darfur region.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (file photo)

Mr. Ban says he will travel to Sudan, including the capital Khartoum as well as the restive² Darfur region, from September 3-6. It will be Mr. Ban's first trip to Sudan as secretary general. The visit comes as the United Nations and African Union prepare for a peacekeeping mission in Darfur, authorized³ last month by Security Council resolution 1769. "I want to go and see for myself the very difficult conditions under which our forces will operate. I want to know firsthand the plight⁴ of those they seek to help. But more, I want to create the foundation of a lasting⁵ peace and security," he said.

Mr. Ban says he is deeply concerned about a recent escalation⁶ in violence in Darfur, where a wave of attacks and bombardments have killed hundreds of people in the past few weeks. "I appeal to the government of Sudan and to all the parties to refrain from military action and choose, at this critical juncture⁷ marked by the adoption⁸ of Security Council resolution 1769, the path of peace and political dialogue," he said.

Mr. Ban says the agreement to send a peacekeeping force, combined with political dialogue within Sudan, present a historic opportunity that must be seized.

He laid out his three-point action plan for Darfur, focusing on peacekeeping efforts, humanitarian⁹ aid, and the quest for a long-term political solution.

Mr. Ban says the joint¹⁰ U.N.-A.U. force, comprised of more than 25,000 military and police personnel, is one of the most complex field operations ever undertaken by the United Nations. He says he will seek the Sudanese government's full support when he meets with President Omar al-Bashir in Khartoum.

Mr. Ban commended efforts to reach a political solution on Darfur, specifically recent talks in Tanzania among opposition¹¹ leaders, and the Sudanese government's willingness to negotiate. "My aim is keep up the momentum¹², to push the pace among the parties with a view toward issuing invitations to a full-fledged peace conference by the end of summer," he said.

On the humanitarian front, Mr. Ban is calling on the international community to help organize efforts to build roads and develop communications, health, education and sanitation¹³ systems in Darfur. He says this is required for sustained economic development.

Mr. Ban says he will address broader peace efforts, including the comprehensive peace agreement between north and south Sudan, when he visits Juba in southern Sudan. Following his trip to Sudan, Mr. Ban will visit Chad and Libya.

1 presto   

adv.急速地；n.急板乐段；adj.急板的

参考例句：

• With something so important,you can't just wave a wand and presto!在这么重大的问题上，你想挥动一下指挥棒，转眼就变过来,办不到！
• I just turned the piece of wire in the lock and hey presto,the door opened.我把金属丝伸到锁孔里一拧，嘿，那门就开了。

2 restive   

adj.不安宁的，不安静的

参考例句：

• The government has done nothing to ease restrictions and manufacturers are growing restive.政府未采取任何措施放松出口限制,因此国内制造商变得焦虑不安。
• The audience grew restive.观众变得不耐烦了。

3 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

4 plight   

n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定

参考例句：

• The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。
• She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。

5 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

6 escalation   

n.扩大，增加

参考例句：

• The threat of nuclear escalation remains. 核升级的威胁仍旧存在。 来自辞典例句
• Escalation is thus an aspect of deterrence and of crisis management. 因此逐步升级是威慑和危机处理的一个方面。 来自辞典例句

7 juncture   

n.时刻，关键时刻，紧要关头

参考例句：

• The project is situated at the juncture of the new and old urban districts.该项目位于新老城区交界处。
• It is very difficult at this juncture to predict the company's future.此时很难预料公司的前景。

8 adoption   

n.采用，采纳，通过；收养

参考例句：

• An adoption agency had sent the boys to two different families.一个收养机构把他们送给两个不同的家庭。
• The adoption of this policy would relieve them of a tremendous burden.采取这一政策会给他们解除一个巨大的负担。

9 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

10 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

11 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

12 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

13 sanitation   

n.公共卫生，环境卫生，卫生设备

参考例句：

• The location is exceptionally poor,viewed from the sanitation point.从卫生角度来看，这个地段非常糟糕。
• Many illnesses are the result,f inadequate sanitation.许多疾病都来源于不健全的卫生设施。